Self-discharging and convertible freight-car



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. WL MORSE. SELF DISGHARGING AND CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT GAR.

H Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

(No Model.)

PATENT Eric.

JAMES W. MORSE-OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

SELF-DISCHARGING AND CONVERTIBLE FREIGHT-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters I?atent No. 537,849, dated April9, 1895.

Application filed March 29, 18943 $erial No. 505,541. (No model.)

To all whom it may-concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. MORSE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSelf-Discharging and Convertible Freight-Oars; andldo hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

. My invention relates to freight cars; and

v has for its object to provide an improved construction for renderingthe ear self discharging, and for converting an ordinary box-car fromthe rectangular to hopper-like form, or vice-versa, whereby the samecar-body may be interchangeably used in either of the two forms,according to the character of merchandisc with which the car is to beloaded.

My present invention is in the same line as the construction describedin a companion case (A) filed by me of even date herewith, whereingeneric claims will be found, covering in a broad point of view, anumber of the features herein shown. The present case is distinguishedfrom the companion case, however, by a number of important features ofconstruction, which will be found hereinafter fully described anddefined in the claims.

A car embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like letters refer to like. parts throughout theseveral views.

Figure 1 is a View, partly in side elevation and partly in section, withsome parts in diagram lines and others broken away, showing my improvedconvertible car. Fig. 2isavertical cross section, on the line X X ofFig. 1, looking from the left toward the right with the central shiftingfloor sections shown in full lines turned up into position,for servingas grain-doors, and shown in their lowered or floor serving positions indotted lines; and Fig. 3 is a detail in cross section, on the line X Xof Fig. 1, showing the relation of the bars which co-operate with theendmargins of the side pivoted floor sections, when turned up, to holdthe same in their grain-door positions, with a grain-tight joint.

The track-rail lines are indicated at a, and the car-wheels at a',-inFig. 1.

With the exceptions hereinafter noted, the car-body may be of thewell-known standard construction, involving the longitudinal floortimbers b, car-body bolsters b, top girders b fixed floor sections b endwalls 19 with end openings b side walls 6 with side door openings b andthe'top deck b Under the center of the car-body, I place a dischargehopper composed of metallic sideplates f, sectional convergent metallicendplates ff sheath forming plates f pivots f connecting the sectionsfand f sectorgears f wormsf engaging said sectors and carried byworm-shafts f journaledin bearings f worm-gearsj on the upper end ofsaid shafts f and transverse shaftf provided with worms f engaging saidwormgearsf". The pivoted seetionsf constitute discharge gates and thesector gears and wormshafts a power device, for controlling said gatesand holding the same in any desired position. When closed, said gatesform the bottom of the discharge hopper; and, when open, form downwardextensions of the convergent inclined walls of the hopper reaching to apoint below the track-level, for delivering the grain or other materialsinto a pit below the track. The transverse shaftf extends to theexterior of the car and has angular ends, for the application of awrench or crank handle, for operating the gates from either side of thecar.

The top of the car is provided with removable trapdoors. 6*, suitablyspaced apart, which adapts the car to be loaded from the top, when usingthe same for self discharging materials.

pal pieces are adapted when in their lowermost position, to eo-operatewith the short fixed floor sections If, to make up the floor of thecar-body.

More specifically stated,the part of the car floor spanning thedischarge hopper, is longitudinally divided or made up of two sectionsit, which are pivoted to the main frame, at their side margins, as shownat h, which, when in their lowermost or turned down position, areadapted to cover the discharge hopper, as shown in dotted lines in Fig.2, and which when turned up form upward extensions of the side walls ofthe hopper, which serve as grain-doors, to close the openings If, in thesides of the car, up to the grain level. As one half the cross sectionof the floor would not be sufficient to afford agrain doorof therequisite height for light grains, the sections h have pivoted theretounderfolding leaves 71 which underlie the sections 71,, when in theirfloor forming position, and which are adapted when turned up, into theirgrain-door forming positions, to constitute upward extensions to themain sections h, for givingagrain-door of the desired maximum height, asclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the said sections it are in theirupturned or grain-door forming positions, they are held withagraintightjoint by angular or otherwise suitably formed vertical bars h which areadjustable laterally and downwardly on the side walls of the car, bymeans of inclined slots h in said bars, and thumb-screws 71 workingthrough the said slots and engaging with suitable nuts h fixed to thecar-body. By loosening the said screws 7?, the said bars h areadjustable away from the vertical end margins of the sections h 71. intothe position shown at the left in Fig. 1, for releasing the saidsections, or from the position shown at the left into the position shownat the right in Fig. 1, for looking said sections it h in their upturnedor grain-door positions with a grain-tight joint.

The intermediate floor sections 70, which fill the space between thefixed sections 5 and the side pivoted central sections h, when all theparts are in their floor forming positions, are pivoted to the upperends of the hopper sections f, as shown at by hinge-lugs of a form whichwill constitute a grain-tight joint. Hence, the said floor sections 7r;may be turned up on the pivots kinto the position shown in Fig. 1, forforming upward extensions of the inclined end walls of the hopper, wherethey may be held by braces 70 pivoted to the under sides thereof, whichare adapted to assume vertical positions with their lower ends restingupon the floor-sills Z) and locked thereto against lateral displacementby sliding catches 70 or in any other suitable way. When the said floorsections 70 are in their lowermost position, the pivoted braces 70 willfold under the same between the strengthening flanges 70 fixed to theunder side of said fioor sections, and be held up in their foldedposition, by the sill timbers 1), against which the ribs k and the saidbraces will rest.

The floor sections 70 are not of sufficient length to extend theinclined walls of the hopper to a junction with the end walls b of thecar body, near the union of the same with the top wall or deck. Hence,at or near the junction of the end walls with the top wall of the car, Ipivotally attach, by a strong hinge 19, additional hopper-wail sections19',

which are adapted to swing inward and form a junction with the sections70, for filling the intervening space and extending the inclined orconvergent end walls of the hopper to a junction with the car-body atthe upper end angles of the same, as shown in Fig. 1. When in thisposition, the sections it and 19 may be locked together by theoverlapping of the lower margin of the section 19, with the upper marginof the section k, and co-operating slide-bolts 19 carried by keepers pfixed to the upper section p, the lower ends of which bolts engage underthe upper margin of the section lo. With this construction, the sectionpmust be raised to a position above its hopper forming line, before thesection it is turned up into its hopper forming position; and, on thenlowering the section 19, the junction may be formed and the partsinterlocked by shifting the position of the sliding bolts 19 The floorsections 70 and the pivoted hopper sections 19' have upturned flanges 70co-operating with flange joint strips 70 and p of which strips, themember 70 is fixed, and the member 13 pivoted as shown at 9 whichflanges and joint strip constitute grain-tight joints between the sidewalls of the car and said sections 70 andp. The pivoted joint strip 29is held down in its joint forming position by thumb screws 12 carried bythe strip and engageable with fixed nuts in the side wa liOf thecar, notherein shown, but which may be exactly like those shown in my companioncase, or in any other suitable form.

WVhen permitted to swing to its lowermost or vertical position, thesection 19' will close the opening 19 in the end of the car; but thesaid sectionsp' maybe held up in their uppermost position, out of theway, together with the pivoted joint strips by hooks p de; pending fromthe top of the car and engaging under the lower edge of said section, orin any other suitable engaging part thereon.

The floor framing of the car-body is reinforced atv the junction withthe hopper sectionsf, by transverse filling blocks or timbers b securedbetween or to the longitudinal floor-sills b.

The action is obvious from the description stated. When the saidshifting floor sections are down,in theirlowermost position,the-carbodywill have a continuous floor and be of rectangular form in crosssection, capable of use like an ordinary box-car. \Vhen the saidshifting floor sections are turned up into their hopper formingpositions, and the sections 19 are swung out, into their hopper formingposition, the interior of the car will be converted into hopper-likeform, adapting the same for carrying grain orotherself discharg- IIO ingmaterial. Hence, when the car is taken to its unloading position and thegates are opened, the grain or other material will discharge itselftherefrom, under the action of gravity.

It is obvious, that this form of convertible construction for thecar-body has some ad vantages, over the form shown in my companion case,the chief of which is the provision of the side pivoted central floorsections, adapted when turned up to serve as graindoors.

It must be obvious that the floor might be stationary from the junctionwith the central sections it outward to the end of the car, and that thepivoted hoppersections 19 might be of a length which when lowered, wouldenable them to form a junction with the upper ends of the hoppersections f and make the same constitute the whole instead of a part ofthe upward extension of the said inclined or convergent end walls of thehopper.

It will be understood, of course, that many of the details might bechanged, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

1. In a car-body, the combination with a hopper-like discharge sectionextending below the fioor level, of a pair of side pivoted floorsections provided each with a folding leaf, which floor sections areadapted, when down, to cover said discharge section, and when turned up,to form grain doors of a height greater than one half the cross sectionof the car-floor, substantially as described.

2. In a car-body, the combination with a hopper-like discharge sectionextending below the floor level, of a pair of side pivoted floorsections adapted, when down, to cover said discharge sections, and, whenup, to form grain doors, and combined lock bars and joint strips securedto the car-body and engageable with the vertical margins of said pivotedfloor sections, to lock the same in their grain door position and form agrain tight joint, therewith, substantially as described.

into and out of engagement with the end mar-- gins of said floorsections, when in their upright positions, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

4. In a car-body, the combination with a central hopper-like dischargesection below the floor level, of the pivoted floor sections adapted toform upward extensions of the inclined end Walls of said hopper, andpivoted or folding braces, carried by said pivoted floor sectionsadapted to support the same from the car sills, when in their hopperforming position, substantially as described.

5. In a car-body, the combination with a central hopper-like dischargesection below the floor level, of pivoted floor sections adapted to beturned up and form upward extensions of the inclined end walls of saidhopper, and hopper wall sections pivoted to the car-body adapted to forma junction with said pivoted floor sections, for extending the end wallsof the hopper to a union with the end walls of the car, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a car-body, the combination with acentral hopper-like dischargesection eXtending below the floor level, of the central side pivotedfloor sections adapted, when down, to cover said discharge sections, andwhen up, to form grain doors, the adjacent end pivoted floor sections,adapted, when turned up, to

form upward extensions of the inclined walls of said hopper, and the toppivoted hopper wall sections adapted to form a junction with said endpivoted floor sections, and extend the hopper Walls to the top of thecar, all substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presenceof two witnesses.

JAMES W. MORSE.

Witnesses:

J AS. F. WILLIAMSON, EMMA F. ELMORE.

